[LG Optimus Black] androcraze:
Fishbone Cover from MyBat:

----------

Available from Amazon.com (search words: fishbone phone protector marquee)

Price: About $6 US ($3 + $3 Shipping)

Materials: Black silicone cover with hard plastic wrap-around insert. Insert comes in multiple colors/graphics.

Pros:

Compact

Secure around phone

Great fit

Multiple colors/graphics options

Rounded-edges design for easy carry

Price

Cons:

None

This cover, while marketed as an LG LS855 (Marquee) case, fits the Optimus Black/P970 perfectly.

The Fishbone cover, although my second LG P970 case/cover, was my first foray into cases for Android phones. It served me well on a Samsung Galaxy Precedent. My young daughter's borrowing the phone (dumb idea) for photos resulted in it being launched across a room; the phone quickly came to a stop that I heard from an adjacent room. Upon inspection, the only damage to the phone was to the case; one of the hard plastic fingers/tabs broke off. The case, while damaged, was still functional. It was well-worth the $6 investment, and I felt no anger about spending $6 for a new cover.

The well-finished cover consists of two parts: a black silicone case that slides over the back and sides of the phone and a hard plastic "backbone" that wraps around and fits into molded recesses in the silicone. This hard plastic piece has fingers extending from a central section; the overall appearance of the piece looks like a spine with a ribcage. The cover can be purchased in a multitude of colors and patterns. When assembled on the phone and laid on its back, the case lays flat and evenly on a level surface.

There are lightly-raised projections on the silicone cover over the power, "G", volume-up, and volume-down buttons. These projections are readily found during operation, yet are fairly low in profile; the projections don't snag in a holster nor inadvertently get activated. There are the standard opening in the cover for the camera, speaker, charger, microphones, and headphones. Some cases have port covers on the openings; this case has none. I never missed not having port covers.

The silicone portion has a thick, raised-ridge around the face of the phone. This ridge helps protect the glass face from scratches when holstering and laying face-down on a surface. Despite a mild bevel on the interior of this ridge, it will occasionally get in the way of the outermost keys in portrait view. I will stress that this is a very minor gripe, and the ridge is flexible enough to lightly slide it out of the way with a finger tip. Maybe it's just my fat fingers.

This cover has been my primary phone cover for nine months and has been pulled out of and put in a leather case many times on a daily basis. The cover fits the case well and the plastic backbone locks everything in place. The back of the case has a rounded contour matching the P970; it feels comfortable in the hand.

I consider the cover's thickness a good balance between protection and carry. For example, the iPhone Otterbox option takes a slim, elegant phone design and makes it boxy and incredibly thick; for the Otterbox, a holster is a must. The Fishbone cover will fit in pockets and the largest holsters. At $6, this is a great value and purchase for any Optimus Black user.

Rating: 5/5 – A solid, durable, and inexpensive phone cover that protects the P970 well.